Schwinn bikes... any good yet?
 

Sorry, totally noob to this forum. Only been biking for two months, actually.

I've been commuting through the city on a Kona Worldbike, but three gears and the iron monster frame are starting to get to me, especially after trying out friends' aluminum rides. I just want to be quicker, and have more acceleration, but not give up all the urbanized aspects of my bike.

While endlessly browsing the web, I stumbled upon this Schwinn thing, which looks so good to me, assuming the quick-release seat can be retrofitted with something more permanent.

But I did some quick research on Schwinn (being sold at department stores set off some alarms,) and apparently there was some serious doubt a few years back about the quality of Schwinns now, and the scruples of the company itself.

So I must ask: Would any intelligent bicyclist buy a Schwinn these days?

Actually, that doesn't look like a bad bike and not a bad price. I see no reason for a seat post with some sort of spring in it and I can' really tell what's going on with the front fork -- is there some sort of dumb-ass suspension in there -- but otherwise, it looks like a very functional utility bicycle. If you want something to ride on a beer run, it just might work. As for Schwinn, as far as I can tell, it's no longer anything more than a brand. You have to inspect the bike in question to see if it fits the purpose and if it's reasonably well constructed for the price -- just like any other bargain priced bike.

Personally, I think you can find an old Schwinn or Raleigh, or Ross, or one of a thousand brands, that will do the job just as well for less. And, they will be better made bikes. A schwinn Breeze (lady's model) from the late 60s to mid 70s would be a better, more durable and robust bike. Or, a Schwinn Suburban from the early 70s. Or, Raleigh Sports and Sprites. Those were tough bike made to last -- and they have.

Actually, I can't seem to find any dealers for it in Canada, so perhaps it's irrelevant how good that particular model is. :(

As for older Schwinns and Raleighs, I'm sure they're super nice if taken care of, but I'm not a good enough buyer to hunt down nice, used bikes. Or knowledgeable enough to repair what could be wrong.
I bought the Kona new for the manufacturer warranties, and the shop threw in two years of service free, too.

I separate Schwinn into two groups, the Wal-mart Schwinns and the bike shop Schwinns. There is a big difference between the two, the ones at the LBS are much better. It's true that Schwinn is nothing more than a purchase brand name, I think Pacific owns them?

The bike you pictured looks fine, I would rather have a rigid fork but YMMV.

How heavy is the Worldbike compared to the bike you're interested in? Even the LBS Schwinns are pretty heavy.

The reason I bring this up is that if you like the Worldbike geometry, you could get your LBS to build you up a 7-speed internal hub wheel to replace your 3-speed hub and swap them out for less than the cost of a new bike.

Also, make sure your tires are fully inflated -- running at the top of the recommended PSI will take 20 lbs off the feel of your bike.

I agree with Kimmitt. If the Worldbike is a nice ride, you might be better suited to make some alterations on it. The Schwinn may be aluminum, but that does not mean it will definitely be faster. With it's more upright geometry and suspension, you might find it a touch slower.

Besides the suggestion of getting more gears in your hub, you can try switching the tires to narrower ones and definitely make sure they are running at full pressure.

All that being said: If you take it for a test ride and really feel it is an improvement, I would say it looks like a fine bike. In the end, I don't want to recommend you spend money on modifications that may or may not improve your opinion of your current bike. Definitely take the Schwinn for a ride first though, it is still an internal geared hub and commuter style bike and you might not find it has the traits you are hoping to change.

Dorel owns Schwinn. And GT, and Mongoose and even Cannondale now. Problem with "bike store Schwinns" is the stigma they carry from the Big Box store Schwinns.. you really don't know where the line differentiates.

My LBS has been around for years, and was a Schwinn dealer in the day. He actually dumped the line as a result of this, and he got tired of the Wal-Mart customers bringing their Schwinns to him. Said it wasn't worth it to alienate customers in explaining to them that they weren't the same. You can just imagine how the "Yes I'm a Schwinn dealer but I don't work on Wal-Mart (or Target, etc) Schwinns" conversation went.

Their upper end aren't bad bikes. There's just no line to separate them from the big box junk, and as a result they have little to no resale should that mean anything to you..

If you aren't able to pick out a quality used bike in good condition, you might check to see if any LBS sells used bikes and look for a good quality hybrid bike. (Specialized, Cannondale, Raleigh, Trek, etc.)
If you like your World, I would probably do as suggested by Kimmitt and upgrade the internal hub for better gearing but it likely wouldn't give you better acceleration.

What bikes do your friends ride that you're comparing the WorldBike to?

I don't see how a Breeze or Suburban would be an improvement on a Worldbike, I've ridden plenty of them and they're heavy and lifeless, though I can't argue about the durability. I love vintage bikes in general and the style of the Breeze and Racer, but it's among the most miserable bikes I've ever ridden.

The Sports and Sprite are in a different class entirely, though I suspect that's not what the OP is interested in.

I'd avoid current Schwinns also, maybe look at the Kona Dew or Dew Drop, I've seen them in the same price range as the NX7.

I commute on a 2009 Schwinn Le Tour. I've got over 1k mi on it. So far, no problem. I have yet to give it a tune up. On some Schwinn bike, the price seem reasonable for the component you're getting. My Schwinn came with Tiagra, Sora and FSA component. It is a road bike as compare to the bike you are looking at. I suggest you may look into what type of quality component you are getting on that bike.

I also got a dept store Schwinn and the difference between the two bike is like night and day. So beware, there are decent Schwinn and then their are cheapy Schwinn.

I've got an '07 Schwinn Le Tour GS (same component mix as yours except TruVativ in place of FSA) with over 3,600 miles on it. It's been my commuter for a year and a half and has performed really well over railroad tracks, pot holes, etc. Definately a big diffeence between LBS and Big Box Schwinns. You won't find the Big Box Schwinns on Schwinn's web site. That should tell you something about them.

Schwinn sells two distinct lines: The basic Schwinn line available at big box retailers, and Schwinn Select available at bike shops. The Schwinn Bikes site that you found shows the Schwinn Select line; that's what you want to go for.

Yes there is... if it's on their website, it's good stuff. If you buy it in a bike shop, it's good stuff. If the box says Schwinn Select, it's good stuff.

Yeah, I heard about that. It's hard to find though on their website. Is it that some bike models are "select" other don't or the cheap/standard version of a model and a "select" version of a model?

I am riding a 06 schwinn fastback I have a little over 15k miles on it with no problems. It has a gold label enlightened aluminum frame with truvative cranks Sora shifters and tiagra derailures. I even crashed it once and it came away with a little scratched paint.

I use a '06 Schwinn Fastback 27 for my commute. The bike weighs 22 pounds and came with Tiagra shifters, front dérailleur and 105 rear dérailleur. The bike has nearly 9k miles on it and the only things I've changed because of wear and tear are the chain and the tires. Besides commuting I've used the bike for century rides and some group rides. I've been very happy with this purchase and have received multiple compliments regarding the bike's looks.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a.../Schwinn27.jpg

Target sells a nice Schwinn Tourist which is light and fast. Don't fret my Canuck friend. The equivalent of this bike can be found at Canadian Tire renamed as Schwinn Circuit XST.
This particular hybrid is a good bike. Lots of +ve reviews even amongst the BFers here at the Hybrid section.
I've seen it go on sale at CT for about $249.

My Trail Way hybrid (also from Target) is similar. Shifters and RD from Shimano... Mind you, I've replaced half the components on the bike in the first year and a half of ownership (3K+ miles ridden) - some by choice, most out of necessity. The wheels are the big issue. 24 spoke aero wheels on a 30 lb. bike are a ridiculous proposition, especially ones as crappy as they put on. Live and learn, though, I guess... Never buying a box store bike for myself again.

That being said, the frame is pretty light (if a skoash small for me), and my upgrades/replacements have made it into a decent bike.

They all ride aluminum frames, that's all I meant. Every bike I've lifted since I bought mine have been signifcantly lighter.

Don't make the mistake of attributing the weight difference to the fact that your Kona has a steel frame. That Schwinn NX-7 may have an aluminum frame, which really doesn't mean much since the frame alone probably weighs close to what your Kona's does but to top it off, the Schwinn also has an entry level sprung fork which are usually quite heavy and add a substantial amount of weight.

Biggest issue I see with this Doohickie is that you more often than not don't see the box.